Under Fire: A Tale of the Shenandoah Valley — page 39: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

32 WHAT THE MOON SAW ON THE OLD STONE PIKE. dle of the door, threw it-open, and, with a lightning grasp, dragged the major headlong from his seat. Captain Trafton was holding Mary Bluff tightly against the back of the carriage. Royal seized him with all the strength of his mus- cular arms, and pulled both out of the vehicle, catch- ing the lady in time to save her from a bad fall. ‘‘Now you pair of scoundrelly abductors make yourselves scarce, for your game is up!”’ Captain Trafton was fairly cowed by the unex- pected attack. ie He was a man of no great personal valor. But the major was of different mold. | Rascal, indeed, he was, but no coward. He had proved his intrepidity on many a desperate field during the Crimean War. Royal was quick to perceive that he was an ugly antagonist. Our hero had hazarded his chances upon the first surprise. | In this he had partially succeeded, but the adven- ture was not over by any means. ‘Get into the carriage, madame, quick!’’ he said. As he spoke, Ezra Trafton, crouching on the eround, drew his pistol and fired. | A heart-rending scream mingled with the report, and Mary Bluff dropped across the steps of the vehi- cle, for the captain’s nervousness had disarranged his aim, and our hero stood unharmed. “The divil!’ exclaimed the major, aghast. **You’ve hit her, man.”’ Then he deliberately covered Royal. Chetwood raised his weapon at the same instant, _and the two reports were as one. For a second, as the smoke cleared, both men ap- peared to be unhurt; then Royal lurched forward, fell at full length, and lay motionless on the turnpike. ‘Faith, I was sure I couldn’t miss the blackguard,”’ (ele) comicbooks mm